Lockheed says it wants Japan to do more work on the F-35

| TOKYO

TOKYO Oct 13 Lockheed Martin Corp wants
Japan to do more work on the F-35 program after earlier attempts
to tempt Japanese companies such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries
with component supply contracts failed, a senior
Lockheed executive said.

"There are industrial opportunities that are still available
for Japan. The action is on their side of the ledger right now,"
Steve Over, director of international business development for
the F-35 program, said in an interview at the Japan Aerospace
2016 show in Tokyo.

Japan has ordered 42 F-35 to replace its fleet of aging
F-4s. Most of those will be put together by Mitsubishi Heavy at
a final assembly and check out plant in Japan.

Japan's government and its companies declined to join the
F-35 build at the start of the program as constraints on arms
exports at the time meant they could not make components for
defense equipment that would be used by foreign militaries.

Prime Minister Shinto Abe's government lifted that export
ban in April 2014, but it was too late for Japanese industry to
join the F-35 as top tier profit sharing partner. Subsequent
talks for Mitsubishi Heavy to supply aft fuselage parts for BAE
Systems Plc, one of the F-35 partners, fell through
without agreement.

Japan, Over said, could still do that fuselage work or bid
for other contracts if it wants to.

"In our heart and soul we would like to have more
opportunity in Japan."

Getting Japan more involved in the F-35 could bolster
Lockheed's chance of selling more of the stealth fighters to
Japan.

Japan's military is planning to retire around 100 older F-15
fighters in the coming years and will need a replacement jet.
(Reporting by Tim Kelly; Editing by Nick Macfie)